(1) Field of the Invention
This invention concerns an apparatus for indicating when a leak is present in a residential waste line such a toilet waste line.
(2) Description of the Art
Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent repairing water damage caused by leaking drains, waste lines and toilets in abodes such as homes, hotels, condominiums and businesses. This problem is particularly acute in multi-story hotels and condominiums where a leak in an upper unit or room can quickly cause extensive water damage to rooms and/or units that lie below.
Attempts have been made to solve this problem by identifying leaks when they occur so that they can be stopped before damage ensues. However, the presently known methods, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,032,435, 6,489,985, 4,705,060 and 4,011,553, typically rely upon sensors in water supply lines, in toilet tanks or on floor surfaces to identify whether or not water is moving through supply lines or to identify when water is accumulating of floor surfaces.
There are several problems with these existing leak detection systems. One problem is that they are prone to identifying leaks when none are present. For example, sensors located on floors will signal a leak when someone accidentally spills liquid on a floor. Moreover, systems that monitor water flow in pipes can erroneously identify normal water use as they leak or they might be fooled into believing that water that is leaking is not a leak.
One particularly difficult leak to identify is a leak at a toilet bowl wax seal. This is a problematic location because the wax seal is generally placed even with or slightly below the top of a floor and any leaks that occur at the seal—the point where the waste pipe meets the toilet bowl—will typically not accumulate on the floor where the toilet bowl is located. Instead, the leak usually manifests itself somewhere below the floor on which the leaking toilet is located. Therefore, leak detection systems that rely upon placing a sensor on the floor will not detect many leaks from toilet bowl wax seals. There is a need, therefore, for an unobtrusive and reliable method for identifying and signaling leaks in aqueous waste lines in homes, condominiums, offices, mobile homes and other abodes. In particular, there is a need for a reliable method to identify and signal the presence of water leaking from a toilet waste line.